Data Sheet

Cisco ASR 5500 Multimedia Core Platform

As a mobile operator, the mobile broadband network that you built has forever
changed the way that your customers work, live, play, and learn, and has become
part of the very fabric of their everyday lives. However, mobile operators today face a
significant challenge. Data traffic continues to grow exponentially, and regular network
modifications are required to keep customers happy. New devices and applications
are also drastically changing the way the network behaves. Competition in the mobile
market is fierce, as the typical subscriber has multiple options for mobile service. At
the same time, revenues are increasingly under pressure. It is an age-old dilemma how does one reduce cost and increase revenue?
To overcome these challenges, operators must build their core networks with three essential attributes: flexibility,
intelligence, and scale. A flexible network is one that can adapt to frequently changing business models, with the
ability to make in-network design modifications without huge capital expenditures. An intelligent network is one
that recognizes the myriad of different user behavior patterns, and has the tools in place to allow operators to
monetize these patterns quickly and transparently. Finally, a scalable network is one that can address the
demands of todays mobile network requirements as well as those that will evolve in the future. Data traffic is not
just increasing; it is becoming more complex, requiring a scalable and flexible solution across all performance
parameters - throughput, transactions, bearers, and sessions.
With all these factors, mobile operators need a mobile packet core solution that they can count on - one that
provides efficient evolution to fourth-generation (4G) technology and small cells. Operators must plan for the new
normal of the mobile internet - elastic, flexible, virtual. This means being able to harness the right resources
(intelligent performance) when you need them - instantaneously. This new normal starts with the intelligent

performance of the Cisco ASR 5500 Multimedia Core Platform (Figure 1). Cisco ASR 5500 sets a new standard
for intelligent performance that redefines the economics of the packet core. It is the first mobile platform designed
for terabit performance that scales to tens of millions of sessions, and supports the transaction rates required to
address the signaling surge.
Figure 1.

Cisco ASR 5500 Multimedia Core Platform

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Cisco ASR 5500 Architecture

As the newest member to the industry-leading Cisco ASR 5000 series, the Cisco ASR 5500 carries forward the
existing ASR 5000 benefits of flexibility and intelligence, while providing substantial increases in scale and
performance. The Cisco ASR 5500 is a high-capacity platform, specifically designed to satisfy the high
performance, subscriber counts, and transaction rates of third-generation (3G) and 4G Long-Term Evolution (LTE)
services plus the emergence of small cells.
The Cisco ASR 5500 supports an elastic architecture for mobile functions, in which these functions are based on
software, not coupled to hardware. The ASR 5500 harvests system resources and applies them across the entire
platform to optimize performance and maximize capital efficiency. This approach allows operators to deploy more
efficient mobile networks that can support a greater number of concurrent calls, optimize resource usage, and
deliver enhanced services, while also providing easy scalability.
The Cisco ASR 5500 uses the same software and operating system, StarOS, as the Cisco ASR 5000, supporting
a consistent set of services across platforms, which results in a significantly lower impact on operations teams.
With the Cisco ASR 5000 series, platform decisions are based on performance, not function or software operators now have multiple options based on size, scope, and scale.

Flexibility
A flexible network is one that can adapt to frequently changing business models, with the ability to make innetwork design modifications without huge capital expenditures. With its powerful elastic architecture, the Cisco
ASR 5500 platform is access-independent and can be transparently deployed in various access networks.
As the Cisco ASR 5500 is based on the same software system as the Cisco ASR 5000, it carries forward the
same benefits of flexibility in terms of the various mobile functions that the product can satisfy. A true nextgeneration core puts the power of network architecture and design in the hands of operators, instead of forcing
operators to work within the bounds of competitive platform limitations. The Cisco ASR 5500 has the flexibility to
meet the individual deployment needs of operators, and allows functions to be shifted to maintain the correct
balance as the needs of the network changes. Below are some of the mobile functions possible on the Cisco ASR
5500:

LTE/EPC

Serving Gateway (SGW)

LTE/EPC

PDN Gateway (PGW)

UMTS/HSPA

Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN)

CDMA/HRPD/eHRPD

Home Agent (HA)

Because the network functions required for any of these access technologies can be combined in a single Cisco
ASR 5500 platform, operators can realize significant operational savings and a simplified network. The flexibility of
the platform helps operators to prepare for next-generation technologies, such as LTE. As a result, their 3G
investment is secure when they migrate to 4G.

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Intelligence
Cisco ASR 5500 contains real-time integrated, session-state intelligence, including deep packet inspection (DPI)
from Layer 1 to Layer 7 for all traffic. Taking full advantage of this intelligence allows operators to dramatically
increase service velocity (by making the intelligence flexibly and virtually available to services), and improve the
customer experience, while optimizing the cost of the network. This sets the stage for continued profitability well
into the future. The platform interacts with and recognizes all the major elements that make up the multimedia
connection-devices, subscribers, networks, applications, transport mechanisms, location, session-state, and
policies-and assists in service-creation velocity by:

Providing a greater degree of information granularity and flexibility for billing, network planning, and usage
trend analysis

Sharing information with external application servers that perform value-added processing

Exploiting user-specific attributes to launch unique applications on a per-subscriber basis

Extending mobility management information to non-mobility-aware applications

Enabling policy, charging, and quality-of-service (QoS) features

The integrated intelligence of the Cisco ASR 5500 provides exceptional inline service capabilities, which allow
operators to achieve a higher degree of optimization, lower operating expenditures, increased service velocity, and
higher levels of service assurance, in comparison with solutions that require external platforms through a variety of
advanced applications. Cisco ASR 5500 inline service capabilities include:

Enhanced content charging

Stateful firewall protection

Application detection and optimization

Content filtering

Network-based traffic optimization

Video pacing

Header enrichment

Inline services at the network edge increase network scalability through simple distributed service deployment,
reduce latency by simplifying the network, protect subscriber sessions with powerful security capabilities, and
reduce the total cost of ownership (TCO) through integration. The Cisco ASR 5500 employs the latest encryption
and security software and firmware for the vital protection of subscriber sessions. Various authentication protocols
are used to secure network access to valid subscribers, while IP Security (IPSec) encryption and termination
provide a secure and private session.

Performance and Scale

The evolution to flat IP network architectures and the large growth in mobile Internet traffic has a tremendous
impact on signaling, throughput, latency, and mobility. Traditional platforms maximize either signaling or bearer
performance at the cost of the other type of performance.

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The Cisco ASR 5500 is purpose-built to address the needs of the mobile multimedia market and provide high
performance to address growing network signaling and user plane demands. The market-proven Cisco ASR 5000
Series reduces the cost per byte for bearer traffic while reducing the cost per attached user for signaling traffic.
Going forward, mobile networks will require a solution that scales across all performance parameters - throughput,
transactions, bearers, and sessions. Cisco has answered that call with the new ASR 5500, the industrys most
powerful mobile platform to date:

First mobile platform designed for true terabit performance (can support the equivalent of all peak
simultaneous mobile traffic in North America for 2010)

Extends Ciscos lead in transaction processing and number of sessions, continuing our leadership in
control plane processing (10-fold architectural increase)

Holistic performance capabilities beyond throughput

Superior performance across the metrics that matter most: sessions, bearers, subscribers, and
transactions

Resiliency and Redundancy

The Cisco ASR 5500 architecture employs full hardware and software redundancy, as well as high-availability
software techniques. The platform can anticipate faults and provide quick, non-session-disrupting recovery to
maximize network uptime, maintain user sessions, retain billing information, and help ensure a high-quality
experience.
The self-healing attributes of the Cisco ASR 5500 include:

Session recovery

Fault containment

State replication

Task checkpoint and migration

1:N or 1:1 redundancy for all hardware elements

Dynamic hardware removal and additions (hot-swappability)

Inter-chassis session recovery or geographic redundancy between multiple platforms

Enhanced Operating System and Management

Cisco ASR 5500 uses the StarOS operating system, a customized, real-time version of Linux that provides a
comprehensive and highly flexible operating environment. The operating system is designed to distribute and
manage sessions across the entire platform through:

Application hosting capabilities

Modular distributed processing

High-availability features

Robust development environment

Context support, allowing multiple logical systems to exist in one platform

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The platform can be managed locally and remotely through the following:

Command-line interface (CLI) supporting telnet, Secure Shell (SSH), and local login through a console port
Web management using an advanced application based on Common Object Request Broker Architecture
(CORBA)

Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) support for event notification

Specifications
Table 1 lists specifications for the Cisco ASR 5500.
Table 1.

Cisco ASR 5500 Product Specifications

Description
Logical Interfaces

Specification
GSMA
GSM UMTS
SIGTRAN
IMS Ma, Mw, Mg, Mj, Mr, ISC, Cx, Sh
IETF SIP
H.248
ECMP, IEEE 802.1q VLANs, IEEE 802.3ad link aggregation
MPLS LSPs, GRE interface tunnels
L2TP, IPSEC

Physical Dimensions

Height: 93.3 cm (36.75 in,)

Width: 43.8 cm (17.25 in.)
Depth: 69.9 cm (27.5 in.)
Mounting weight (chassis): 51.25 kg (113 lb)
Total weight (fully loaded): 204.1 kg (450 lb)

Power

Base 20-slot chassis: 256W

Fabric and storage card (up to 6 per chassis): 100W
System status card (up to 2 per chassis): 10W
Management I/O card (up to 6 per chassis): 900W
Data processing card (up to 8 per chassis): 1000W
Front fan tray (2 per chassis): 60W
Back fan tray (2 per chassis): 840W
Total power (fully loaded): 12,800W
8 power feeds, capable of carrying 80A each
Operating voltage: -40.5 to -72V

Environmental

Normal operating temperature: 0C to 40C (32F to 104F)

Storage temperature: -40C to +70C (-40F to 158F )
Normal operating humidity: 20% to 80% noncondensing
Storage humidity: 10% to 95% noncondensing
Normal operating altitude: 60m (197 ft) below to 4,000m (13,123 ft) above sea level (at 30C)
Non-operating altitude: 60m (197 ft) below to 15,000m (49,212 ft) above sea level

GSM/UMTS (CS Domain)

3GPP TS 24.008, 48.006, 48.008, 25.413, 29.232, Q.1950, 23.003, 29.002, 23.039, 23.040, 23.401,
23.402, 24.011, 24.080, 24.081, 24.083, 24.084, 24.091, 24.173, 23.009, 49.008

IETF

RFC 1035, 2046, 2387, 2617, 2782, 2915,2976, 2833, 3261(SIP), 3263(SIP), 3262, 3264, 3265(SIP),
3310, 3311, 3323, 3325, 3327(SIP), 3428, 3455, 3551, 3588, 3608(SIP), 3680, 3761, 3842, 3966, 4483,
4566

CDMA

CDMA A.S0013-C v2.0, A.S0014-C v2.0, C.S0005-D v2.0

2012 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public Information.

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For More Information

For more information, please visit http://www.cisco.com/go/mobile.

Printed in USA

2012 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public Information.

C78-707265-00

06/12

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